[Python-Dev] Possible optimization for LOAD_FAST ?

[Ned Batchelder]

On 12/31/2010 12:51 PM, Cesare Di Mauro wrote:
> 2010/12/31 <skip at pobox.com <mailto:skip at pobox.com>>
>
>
>     >> Another example. I can totally remove the variable i, just
>     using the
>     >> stack, so a debugger (or, in general, having the tracing enabled)
>     >> cannot even find something to change about it.
>
>        Ethan> -1
>
>        Ethan> Debugging is challenging enough as it is -- why would
>     you want to
>        Ethan> make it even more difficult?
>
>     <snarky>
>     I don't know.  Maybe he wants his program to run faster.
>     </snarky>
>
>
> :D
>
> "Aggressive" optimizations can be enabled with explicit options, in 
> order to leave normal "debugger-prone" code.
I wish the Python compiler would adopt a strategy of being able to 
disable optimizations.  I wrote a bug about a "leaky abstraction" 
optimization messing up coverage testing 2.5 years ago, and it was 
closed as won't fix: http://bugs.python.org/issue2506.  The debate there 
centered around, "but that line isn't executed, because it's been 
optimized away."  It's common in sophisticated compilers (as in, any C 
compiler) to be able to choose whether you want optimizations for speed, 
or disabling optimizations for debugging and reasoning about the code.  
Python would benefit from the same choice.

--Ned.
>
>     If you use print statements for the bulk of your debugging (many
>     people do),
>     unrolling loops doesn't affect your debugging ability.
>
>      Skip
>
>
> It's a common practice. Also IDEs helps a lot, and advanced 
> interactive shells too (such as DreamPie).
>
> Cesare
>
>
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